


Through the Years We all will be Together

by Jace_Stump20



Series: "Ringing up Death one shots" [1]
Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Merry Christmas, Multi, possible Woods/Mason if you squint real hard, this is just pure fucking fluff.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:26:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28149813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jace_Stump20/pseuds/Jace_Stump20
Summary: just a fluffy little one shot about Adler and his team celebrating Christmas. Can be read as a stand alone, but technically set sometime during the events of my "Ringing Up Death" story.
Relationships: Park/Lazar, Russell Adler/Bell
Series: "Ringing up Death one shots" [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066232
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Through the Years We all will be Together

_ “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland…” _ The familiar melody played on the radio in the living room. It wasn’t the loudest, even at full volume the music couldn’t reach everywhere in the house, but Bell just enjoyed knowing it was there. They had a lot of problems with silence after everything they had been through. They hummed along as they decorated the place with stuff they’d bought at the mall. 

It had been Mason’s idea to celebrate Christmas this year. He’d also convinced Bell and Sims to keep it their little secret, wanting to surprise the others. Yes, finding Perseus’s next plan was important, but so was celebrating Bell’s first American Christmas. 

Currently, Mason had taken Adler, Woods and Park out shopping, leaving Sims and Bell behind to cook and decorate. It was Christmas Eve, most shops wouldn’t be open long, so they didn’t have much time. That hadn’t stopped Bell though. Mason had taken them shopping last week so they could get a tree, presents and decorations. He’d dropped the stuff off last night, putting it all in the shed in the backyard for Bell. 

As soon as Mason had come to get Adler and drop off Sims, Bell had gotten to work. With Sims’s help they had gotten the tree inside, setting it up near the fireplace in the living room. Boxes of ornaments lay next to it, Bell planned to decorate the tree last. 

They hung garland from the fireplace, draped some over the bannister on the stairs, and framed the hutch in the dining room. Paper snowflakes adorned the icy windows, and a thing of mistletoe was hung in the doorway to the living room. Nothing fancy, but it looked nice. 

The tree came next. Red, green and white balls hung from the different branches, along with popcorn strings, cranberry strings and candles, making the whole tree glow with an ethereal light. At the top of the tree, Bell placed a small angel, smiling to themselves. 

Noises from the kitchen made Bell turn down the radio, making their way in to see what Sims was doing. Mason had recruited Sims for their little project since he was the best damn cook in the group. Lazar came close, but no one could beat Sims’s mama’s recipe for Rosemary Lemon chicken. Sims had been cooking non-stop since his arrival, and Bell had nearly forgotten he was there. 

“Hey Bell. How’s the decorating going?” Sims looked over with a smile. 

‘Not too bad. I’m pretty much done. Came to see if you needed any help before I started working on presents.’ Bell signed. Since being pulled from Perseus’s clutches a second time, Bell had lost the ability to speak well. They were self conscious of how their voice sounded and really only talked if they needed to. Adler had taught them ASL while they recovered and it was their main form of communication now. 

“Well I won’t say no to an extra pair of hands. How about you mix up the eggnog? The rum should be in the fourth cupboard to the left on the bottom, and there’s a pitcher in the hutch.” 

Bell nodded, heading to the hutch first to see how big of a pitcher they were working with. Once they had a pretty good idea, they grabbed the two quarts of eggnog out of the fridge, pouring both into the pitcher, then carefully adding the rum, stopping to taste every so often to make sure it didn’t get too strong. Once they were satisfied, they sprinkled some ground cinnamon on top and placed the whole thing back in the fridge. 

“Good job Bell. Dinner’s almost ready, and the others should be back soon. Go wrap your presents and put them under the tree. Mine and Mason’s are in the bags in the entryway, you can add those as well.” 

Giving another nod, Bell quickly headed upstairs to the second bedroom, which had been converted into a small in home office for themselves and Adler. Opening the closet, they dug around in the back until they pulled out wrapping paper, scissors, tape, and lastly the bags of presents. Spreading everything out, they began to get to work. 

First they wrapped the bottle of clongene they had picked out for Adler, then the two new sweaters they had gotten him, then the gloves, and finally the new pair of aviators. They knew they had gotten him way more than the others, but Adler was also their boyfriend, so it was only right he’d get more. 

Up next came Mason. Bell had been careful to pick it out when the other man was distracted, but they had wanted to get him something really nice for all the help he’d been giving them since their rescue. They’d hemmed and hawed for hours, agonizing over what could possibly be good enough, before something had caught their eye while out shopping. 

They had been in Macy’s when Bell had noticed Mason eyeing up a really soft looking navy blue leather jacket. Bell didn’t know why Mason hadn’t just bought it for himself, but as soon as the other man wasn’t looking, they’d grabbed the jacket and bought it for him. They also included a small picture frame with a picture of Mason and Woods together that Bell had taken a few months ago at a beach. It was a candid shot, both men standing close to each other in the waves, looking out at the sunset. Of course, not two seconds after they’d snapped the picture, Woods had splashed water at Mason and the two had begun to splash each other until both of them were drenched. Just the memory alone made Bell smile, and they knew Mason would appreciate the picture. 

Since getting back, Mason had suggested Bell take up a hobby, and Bell had chosen photography. They had a small Polaroid camera, and Alder had agreed to let them turn the basement into a darkroom so they could develop their own pictures. Said camera sat on the mantle at the moment. Bell planned to get a group shot of everyone later tonight. 

Setting Mason’s now wrapped presents aside, Bell moved on to Woood’s, their smile only growing. As a joke, Mason had convinced them to get Woods a pair of slippers and a pipe, references to a long standing gag in the team that Woods was getting old. Being a bit of a mischievous sort, Bell had happily gone along with the prank, then because they felt bad, they’d gone out and gotten him some real presents too. A new combat knife, a pack of cigarettes with a hand carved wooden ashtray and a new holster for his gun. 

Park was up next. Bell hadn’t really known what to get her, so they had settled on a set of fancy fountain pens, and a photo album with a note saying they would happily photograph her upcoming wedding with Lazar this spring. Like Mason, they also included a few framed photos, but these ones were naturally of Park and Lazar. 

Speaking of Lazar, Bell pulled his gifts out next. Next to Adler and Mason, Lazar had been the easiest for them to buy for; a bottle of expensive Vodka and a new shaving kit. 

Lastly came Sims. Bell had actually caved and asked Adler what Sims liked, since their boyfriend knew the man best. Thankfully, Adler hadn’t seemed suspicious of why Bell asked, and Bell was more than glad to take his advice and get Sims a new set of tools. 

With the presents all wrapped, Bell carried them all downstairs, arranging them with Sims’s and Mason’s under the tree. Sims finished cooking, and together the two of them set the table; a fancy white tablecloth, some silverware from Adler’s mother, and some fancy plates. Bell poured everyone a goblet of the eggnog while Sims brought out the dishes. Along with the chicken there was mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls and butter. It wasn’t much, but it all looked delicious, and they didn’t need much anyways. 

“Well, that’s that. Nothing left to do now but wait for the others. Come on, let’s sit down.” Sims said, taking Bell into the living room. 

_“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glistened, and children listened, to hear, sleigh bells in the snow…”_ The radio continued to play as they sat on the couch. Bell lit up a cigarette, relaxing as they smoked, while Sims grabbed the deck of playing cards out of the end table. “Come on Bell. I’m gonna teach you a card game.” 

The two of them were so invested in their game of War, they almost didn’t hear the others arriving. Almost. Bell heard Mason’s truck pull up, and set their cards down, looking to the front door. 

It opened with a flurry of snow and talking. “Glad to finally be back. You’d think traffic wouldn’t be too bad today but it was a night-” Adler broke off as he stepped further into the house, taking everything in. 

“Bell, what did you do?” Adler demanded, but his tone wasn’t harsh, more curious. 

‘It was Mason’s idea. He wanted me to get to celebrate a real American Christmas. Sims got in on it too, because we needed a cook. The three of us have been planning this for a while. I hope it’s ok.’ Bell suddenly looked very nervous, worried Adler might be upset. 

“Of course it’s ok, Bell.” Adler was quick to assure his partner, crossing the entryway to pull them into a hug. “The house looks amazing, you did all of this while we were gone?” 

Bell nodded, hiding their face in the crook of Adler’s neck, still a little embarrassed. 

“You did a wonderful job, sweetheart.” Adler kissed the top of Bell’s head before gently pushing them off him. “Now give me a second, I have to go wrap presents, and I’m sure Park, Lazar and Woods do too. You three troublemakers stay downstairs and behave.” 

Mason actually laughed at that, before taking Bell by the shoulders and steering them back to the living room. “Come on, I still have to show you the best Christmas tradition!” 

When the other three returned downstairs a short time later, they found Bell, Mason and Sims in front of the TV watching  _ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. _

“This is why we never told Hudson about our plan. He’s a Grinch if there ever was one.” Mason was explaining. 

“Move over, Mason. I’m sitting next to Bell.” Adler said, nudging Mason aside so he could claim his spot. 

With a fake pout, Mason vacated his seat, looking around to see Park and Lazar had stolen one armchair, Park sitting on Lazar’s lap, while Sims, Bell and now Adler occupied the couch. That only left the second armchair, which was currently occupied by Woods. 

Woods seemed to realize this at the same time Mason did, because he opened his mouth to say something, but it was already too late. Mason had walked over and made himself comfortable on Wood’s lap, grinning like an idiot. 

“Get off me, dumbass.” Woods grumbled, playfully shoving Mason, but both men knew he didn’t mean it. 

When the movie was over, everyone made their way into the dining room to enjoy Sims’s dinner. As they ate, they shared fond memories of Christmas’s past, just enjoying each other’s company. The bond between them all was stronger than ever, the kind of familial bond that can only come with facing life and death situations every day. 

Once dinner was over, Woods offered to clean up, while Bell surprised everyone with a plate of Christmas cookies they had made. 

Adler got the coffee going, so they’d have something to drink with dessert, and they all decided to open presents while the coffee perked. So they all once again made their way into the living room, settling back into their previous positions. 

“Since this is Bell’s first Christmas, I vote they open their presents first!” Mason declared. Not giving anyone a chance to object, he started pulling presents with Bell’s name on them from under the tree. 

“Here’s start with this one. It’s from me.” He handed them a present wrapped in plain red paper. 

Bell took it, ripping the paper off to reveal a set of books,  _ The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy  _ by J.R.R Tolkien. 

“Those are my favorite books. I really hope you like them. You’ll have to let me know once you start reading them, we’ll have so much to talk about.” Mason was smiling as he talked. 

“I didn’t know you knew how to read.” Woods teased, causing Mason to playfully jab him in the side.

“Just for that, I’m returning your present.” Mason threatened. 

“Come on Bell, open mine next.” Woods completely ignored Mason, handing Bell another present, this one wrapped in green paper. 

Bell almost laughed when they opened it up to find a brand new combat knife. 

“Figured it was about time you got your own.” Woods shrugged, and Bell smiled gratefully before setting it aside carefully. 

“Us next.” Park spoke up, handing Bell a package in white. “Lazar and I both collaborated on your present.” 

Inside was a beautiful leather bound journal in a deep green, as well as a few James Bond novels. 

“Something to read, and somewhere to record your thoughts.” Lazar explained. 

“Alright, my turn.” Sims announced. “Now, I have two gifts for you, but one of them goes along with something Adler got you, so I’ll save that one for last.”   


He handed Bell a box, colorfully decorated with snowmen and snowflakes. Inside was a brand new camera and a roll of film. Bell started tearing up as they looked over everything they had gotten, feeling like they didn’t deserve any of it. 

“Hey, don’t start crying now. You still have two more presents to open.” Sims teased. “Here, open this one first.” He handed them a small box with a ribbon on it. 

Inside was a set of dog tags, stamped with the name “Liam ‘Bell’ Adler.” Bell looked at them, confused for a second, before turning to see Adler getting down on one knee. “I haven’t been entirely honest with you, Liam. Mason clued me in to what you guys were up to. But I wanted to give you a surprise of my own, so I didn’t say anything. Liam, you’ve been by my side through hell and back, and you’ve proven time and time again to be someone I can count on. I’ve never loved anybody as much as I love you, and I’d be honored if you would marry me.” He pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a simple gold band inside.    


More tears began to fall as Bell pulled Adler in for a kiss, whispering a breathless “yes” against his lips. 

Everyone applauded as Adler slipped the ring onto Bell’s finger, gently caressing their cheek. “I love you. For now, and forever.” 

The rest of the night passed in a daze of happiness. Everyone loved the gifts Bell had picked out for them, and there was a lot of joking and laughter at Wood’s gag gifts. Soon the fire began to burn low, empty coffee mugs littered the end tables and the fireplace, and Bell was starting to drift. It had been an emotional day for them, and they were wiped out. 

Adler woke them gently long enough for them to say goodbye to everyone, then he scooped them up and carried them, bridal style, to their bedroom. “You really liked today?” He asked as the two of them got ready for bed. 

“It was more than I hoped for.” Bell still seemed dazed from everything, and Adler chuckled. 

“Well you’d better get used to it. You’re my spouse now, or you will be soon. And I intend to spoil the hell out of you.” 

Blushing furiously, Bell headed to the master bathroom to brush their teeth. “Are you sure you wanna marry me? I mean...I’ll never conform to any sort of traditional role.” 

“Bell, I don’t want to be traditional. I want you. Just because you’ll be my wife on paper it doesn’t change how I view you.” 

“You fucking sap. I never knew you had it in you.” Bell teased, turning on the water as they began to brush. 

“Don’t tell the others. My reputation will be ruined.” Adler joked back, starting to brush his teeth as well. 

Only once the lights were off and they were in bed, Bell snuggled securely to his side, did Adler take the time to consider the choices he had made in life that had brought him to this moment. They hadn’t been good, hell, he was pretty sure he could count on one hand the amount of good things he had done in his entire life. In his line of work, that was just how it went. 

However, it was all worth it to have this. 

Bell, resting peacefully, safe and loved. His team of strong willed, brave men and women, and this house, once filled with bitter memories now full of life and love again. Pressing a gentle kiss to Bell’s forehead, Adler shut his eyes and drifted off himself. 


End file.
